Sampling apparatus



Sept. 19: 1961 Filed June 5, 1957 F. DE BOALT SAMPLING APPARATUS 2 Sheet 1 Mai I mumm I uvmvron FRED F. DE BOALT ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1961 F. F. DE BOALT SAMPLING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRED F. DE BOALT ATTORN EY United States Patent f 3,000,219 SAMPLING APPARATUS Fred F. De Boalt, Wenatchee, Wash, assignor to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., :1 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 5, 1957, Ser. No. 663,760 Claims. (Cl. 73-422) This invention relates to an apparatus for the sampling of materials flowing in a duct system, particularly solids such as coal, ore, and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which will take a representative sample of the entire cross-section of material flowing in a duct system.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which may be readily installed in a material handling duct system and which is of simple construction and inexpensive to operate and maintain.

Another object is to provide a sampler which is adaptable for use with material of various sizes and is capable of taking variable amounts of material.

Referring to the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 11 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view looking from the right side of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated a vertical line sampler embodying the invention, an upwardly inclined hollow sampling shaft 1 extends through and is oscillatably mounted in the casing 2, by use of bearings 3 and 4, and is supported at its upper end by the collar 5, made integral with or mounted on the shaft 1 by set screws or other siutable means. Extending upwardly from the shaft 1 is a cutter box 6, made integral with or fixedly mounted on the shaft 1, the cutter box having a hollow passage communicating with the hollow passage of the shaft 1 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. A machine-powered actuating mechanism or a manually operated device such as the pivot arm or handle 7 is connected or afiixed to the lower end of the shaft 1. This assembly is adapted to be mounted in a closed duct system for flowing material as shown by the ducts 8 and 9. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the inlet duct terminus 10 is preferably arcuate to conform to the arcuate path of the cutter 6 as it oscillates through the material flow thus enabling the two cooperating edges to be in substantial proximity.

The casing 2 may be unitary or preferably it may be made of separate sheet metal parts which are preferably welded or bolted together by use of mating flanges in order to facilitate construction. As shown in the accompanying drawings, an end closure plate 11 is flangebolted to the central portion of the casing 2, enabling removal for cleaning and maintenance. Extensions 12 and 13 are Welded to the closure plate 11 and the lower central portion of the casing 2 to provide seats for the bearings 3 and 4 and a housing for the upwardly inclined shaft 1. Although the duct system may provide the inlets and outlets for the sampler casing, it is preferable to construct the unit with a sampler inlet duct 14 having the desired arcuate terminus 10, and a sampler outlet duct 15, whereby installation of the unit into a conduit system may be facilitated, especially by use of mating flanges at the connecting edges.

The edges of the cutter box 6 may be streamlined, or adjustable, streamlined cutter blades 16 being preferably employed at the edge of the cutter box 6 to minimize disturbance of the material flow and to permit close adjustment of the proximity between the cutter box 6 and the inlet duct terminus 10, as well as to allow adjust- Patented Sept. 19., 1961 ment of the channel between the blades 16. The sampling shaft 1 may be constructed so as to have a solid upper end or a sealing plate 17 may be employed to prevent escape of dust. Dust seals 18 are preferably employed in the bearings 3 and 4 to protect the bearing surfaces.

Referring now to the mode of operation, when the cutter box 6 is inoperative, material in the duct system flows through the inlet ducts 8 and 14 through the sampling chamber around and past the shaft 1 and the cutter box 6 and thence through the outlet ducts 15 and 9. As the sampling shaft 1 is oscillated, the cutter box 6 moves from its inoperative position, at either side of the sampler inlet duct 14, and through the flowing material being discharged from the inlet duct terminus 10. The substantial proximity between the streamlined cutter blades 16 and the terminus 10 results in a relatively undisturbed cross-section of material flowing into the cutter box 6 and thence into the sampling shaft 1 and finally into a sample collector which may be placed at the lower, open end of the shaft 1.

The proximity of the cutter blades 16 to the inlet duct terminus 10 may be varied with the size of the material being sampled, suflicient clearance between the cooperating surfaces being provided to prevent jamming or abrading action, and the width of the channel between the blades 16 is preferably adjustable for various sizes of materials.

The volume of the samples taken may be varied by the amount of oscillation or by controlling the speed of oscillation of the cutter box 6 through the material flow, a larger sample being obtained by a slow movement, a smaller sample by fast movement.

' The streamlined cutter blades 16 may be bevelled or otherwise designed so as to present a narrow cutting edge. In this manner, the disturbance of the stream of material flow is minimized. Blunted or wide edges tend to cause a turbulence in the stream of material flow, thereby preventing the taking of a representative cross-sectional sample.

It can be seen that a rugged and simple device may be constructed which embodies the present invention. It is one which is capable of considerable use and employment with various types and sizes of materials. By preparing the sampler as a unit, it can readily be installed in a duct system, and can readily be removed, if need be.

It is deemed apparent that while the sampling apparatus has been shown in a vertical duct or line, it is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus dsecribed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a duct system for flowing material, apparatus for removing representative samples of the entire cross-sectional area comprising a casing providing a sampling chamber, an inlet duct, an outlet duct, an inclined hollow shaft extending transversely through said casing and oscillatably mounted therein about a fixed axis, said shaft being disposed below the said inlet duct terminus, a hollow cutter box providing a passageway extending upwardly from said shaft and having a free end provided with an opening, the opening in said cutter box being of uniform width and at least equal in length to the corresponding maximum dimension of the said inlet duct terminus and the passageway through said cutter box communicating with the hollow portion of said shaft, and means for oscillating said shaft to move said cutter box from a position at one side of said inlet duct terminus to the opposite side thereof.

2. In a duct system for flowing material, apparatus for 3 removing representative samples of the entire cross-sectional area comprising a casing providing a sampling chamber, an inlet duct, an outlet duct, an inclined hollow shaft extending transversely through said casing and 08-; cillatably mounted therein about a fixed axis, the axis of said shaft being disposed beneath and centrally of the said inlet duct terminus, a hollow cutter box providing a passageway extending upwardly from said shaft and having a free end provided with an opening, the opening in said cutter box being of uniform width and atleast equal in length to the corresponding maximum dimension of the said inlet duct terminus and the passageway through said cutter box communicating with the hollow portion of said shaft, and means for oscillating said shaft to move said cutter box from a position at one side of said inlet duct terminus to the opposite :side thereof, said inlet duct terminus being arcuate to conform substantially to the path of motion of the free end of said cutter box.

3. In a duct system for flowing material, apparatus for removing representative samples of the entire cross-sectional area comprising a casing providing a sampling chamber, an inlet duct, an outlet duct, an inclined hollow shaft extending transversely through said casing and oscillatably mounted therein about a fixed axis, the axis of said shaft being disposed beneath and centrally of the said inlet duct terminus, a hollow cutter box providing a passageway extending upwardly from said shaft and having a free end provided with an opening, the opening in said cutter box being of uniform width and at least equal in length to the corresponding maximum dimension of the said inlet duct terminus and the passageway through said cutter box communicating with the hollow portion of said shaft, and means for oscillating said shaft to move said cutter box from a position at one side of said inlet duct terminus to the opposite side thereof, said inlet duct terminus being arcuate to conform substantially to the path of motion of the free end of said cutter box, the free end of said cutter box being in substantial proximity to said inlet duct terminus during movement across said terminus.

4. In a duct system for flowing material, apparatus for removing representative samples of the entire cross-sectional area comprising a casing providing a sampling chamber, an inlet duct in the upper portion of said sampling chamber through which material is introduced, an outlet through which material exists, and inclined hollow shaft extending transversely through said casing and scillatably mounted therein about a fixed axis, the axis of said shaft being disposed beneath and centrally of the said inlet duct terminus, a hollow cutter box providing a 50 of said inlet duct terminus to the opposite side thereof,

saidinlet duct terminus being arcuate to conform -sub stantially 'to the path of motion of the free end of said cutter box, the free end of said cutter box being streamlined and in substantial proximity to said inlet duct terminus during movement across said terminus, the opening in said cutter box being of uniform width and at least equal in length to the corresponding maximum dimension of the said inlet duct terminus.

5. In a duct system for flowing material, apparatus for removing representative samples of the entire cross-sectional area comprising a casing providing a sampling chamber, an inlet duct in the upper portion of said sampling chamber through which material is introduced, said inlet duct terminating at an angle oblique to its longitudinal axis, an outlet through which material exits, an inclined Ehollow shaft extending transversely through said casing and oscillatably mounted therein about a fixed axis,

7 the axis of said shaft being disposed beneath and centrally of the said inlet duct terminus, a hollow cutter box providing a passageway extending upwardly from said shaft and having a free end provided with an opening, the

- passageway through said cutter box communicating with the hollow portion of said shaft, and means for .oscillating said shaft to move said cutter box from a position at one side of said inlet duct terminus to the opposite side thereof, said inlet duct terminus being arcuate to conform substantial-1y -.to the path of motion of the free end of said cutter box, the free end of said cutter box being streamlined and in substantial proximity to said inlet duct terminus during movement across said terminus, the opening in said cutter box being of uniform width and at least equal in length to the corresponding maximum dimension of the said inlet duct terminus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

